Wednesday, July 30, 2008

SITE NEWS / Andreas Lehmann

Moving things around... As you may already know, this blog is a mirror of the one I keep on my site, The Carrotbox (a website dedicated to non-metal rings). I'm moving my server to a new home today so, while the site is down, the photos on this page will go missing as well. Please check back again soon, as the photos should be restored shortly! Thanks.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

These rings are boss  but kind of bossy, too. "Do or Die" aquamarine ring by New York-based Svenja Timme-Bastian (also soon to be found at Do or Die Design) and "Be" ring trio by Dutch designer Martijn Homan of label h.

Bonus link: recycled metal and bead rings by bossily-named Be Clever (aka Marzia Chierichetti, an Italian living in Kenya).

Monday, July 28, 2008

Rhonda Dwyer / VooDoo Pickle

Awesome to a degree heretofore unparalleled and possibly dangerous: an accompanying piece to use as a shot glass for ingesting said candies from said ring (as demonstrated below). Who's responsible for all this awe? Awe-stralian jeweller Rhonda Dwyer.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Lo-tec / Alaska Jewelry

Had the web been around in the '80s, I could've been blogging on my Commodore 64. Of course, all the photos would look identical, as the low-res screen struggled to approximate a circle using 25 giant pixels or fewer  kind of like these silver and acrylic rings by London's Lo-tec.

Bonus link: want hi-tech instead? The "Remember Ring" heats up to remind you of important dates! Useful even if you're not the "forgetful husband" it's meant for. Concept by Alaska Jewelry.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Zoe Arnold / Lívia Canuto

One third romance and two thirds whimsy (it's true, I measured it), London's Zoe Arnold creates jewellery that tells a story. Specifically, that story would be the one told in "Several Sharp Sentences on a Moon Lost Night," the poem upon which the rings are based. The gold and quartz fly ring is titled "Open Windows with Absent Views," while the cameo and quartz piece is "The Glint from a Frosty Breath."

Bonus link: this "Drink Me" ring by Brazil's Lívia Canuto is one of her pieces based on a more famous story: Alice in Wonderland. Lots of great work on her site! (Click "entra" instead of "enter" to view.)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Ines Schwotzer / Jenny Henze / Golden Knots

There's enough metal here to make a solid, chunky ring, but Germany's Ines Schwotzer does the unexpected and makes stainless steel look light and airy. Rather than rings, these knotted pieces are more like wire frame suggestions of rings.

Above: more wire frame rings  this time in gold, aquamarine and fire opal  from another German jeweller, Jenny Henze. My favourite is below:

Bonus link: if you're looking for more knotted work, Golden Knots (Florida's Loren Damewood) will keep you occupied for a good, long time.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Beate Eismann / Peg Fetter

While the garage might not be the place for your finest jewellery, these weighty hunks of metal by Germany's Beate Eismann would fit right in. She calls them an "artistic application of industrial construction." Which beats my description, "lug-nutty."

Monday, July 21, 2008

Arnold Patrick Martin / Strings and a Dare

Do not  I repeat, do NOT  attempt to play cat's cradle while wearing this ring. This thread and metal piece by Detroit's Arnold Patrick Martin is from his fabulous "tension structure" series, in which he explores geometry and proportion.

Bonus link: this ring also knows a thing or two about tension  it's made of guitar wire! See more, including wires from violins and pianos, at Minnesota's Strings and a Dare.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Jimin Park / Mah Rana

If you do go with yesterday's break-apart engagement ring, this felt and diamond wedding ring should protect from those jagged porcelain edges. Piece by Washington, DC-based Jimin Park, whose gallery is full of beautiful work. Here's another sampling:

Bonus link: for another non-traditional wedding ring, check out this "caged" gold band by London's Mah Rana.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Laura Creer / Stubborn WORKS

I've had an enfrazzling last few days but just one look at these soothingly simple designs and all is calm again. For that, I have English jeweller Laura Creer to thank; pictured are her silver and resin "cell" rings.

Bonus link: check out Portland, Oregon's Melissa Stiles  aka Stubborn WORKS  for a similar style, also in inlaid resin.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Anna Lorich / Kirsten Muenster

I love the etheral quality of these pieces by Anna Lorich. The New York artist references both a variety of themes (childhood, history, symbolism, etc.) and collected objects (textiles, coins, miniatures, etc.) in her work, often using portraiture and landscape imagery to create "intimate keepsakes of moments and memories."

Bonus link: also referencing landscapes is San Francisco's Kirsten Muenster, who uses stones like Montana agate to create "wearable landscapes."

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Tomasz Donocik / Trash Design Manufactury

Tomasz Donocik has a flair for the dramatic. The London-based Austrian jeweller gives his nod to old-world decadence, resulting in fabulous pieces like the silver tower ring, above. Below are his pentagon "star" ring in gold and quartz and the leather ball "tree ring," for wearing betwixt the fingers.

Bonus link: for Austrian jewellery that's decidedly more 2008, check out Trash Design Manufactury, which hires the long-term-unemployed and people with disabilities to recycle used electronic devices.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Markéta Lisá / Lauren Barnes

Czech is Greek to me but judging by the product shot beside a car windshield and the fact that the collection is named "Crash," I'm guessing these rings are made with glass fragments. They're by Markéta Lisá, a Czech artist who sometimes collaborates with name-twin Markéta Richterová (whom I wrote about in April; their joint site is here). The former Markéta's site can be a tad confusing to navigate but the array of eclectic work makes hunting all the more fun. For an overview, you can cheat over to this page, though it's not comprehensive. Below, some more of her rings:

Bonus link: this ring may have started with glass fragments but England's Lauren Barnes fused them into a formidable tower of colourful stripes, set in silver.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Gamblers Jewels (Andreas Zidek) / Jennifer Kellogg

Today is lucky 7/7  and I bet the Vegas slot machines are extra busy. If you're looking for that winning advantage, try boosting your luck by donning one of these casino-themed pieces from Gamblers Jewels. Who knows? The one-armed bandit just might reward you for your style. (The collection is by Germany's Andreas Zidek, whom I also wrote about a couple of years ago.)

Bonus link: for a more subtle "bar" ring, try this band from Brooklyn's Jennifer Kellogg. Also shown are the "casino" bracelets.

About Me

Hi! Visit the shop at thecarrotbox.com and get the full version of the blog at thecarrotbox.com/news! I stopped putting a full copy of the blog here because I think Google thought I was some copycat weirdo.